Climate change and community, work, and family

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of the twenty-first century, but it has not yet been fully integrated into research on community, work, and family. Although climate change is often framed as a technical or environmental problem, this Voices article argues that it is fundamentally social in nature, shaped by norms, institutions, identities, and everyday practices. Using three examples, the article shows how social science theories and methods can deepen our understanding of climate-related behavior. First, it examines climate skepticism among European farmers, showing how occupational identity, political distrust, and macro-level contexts shape attitudes toward climate change in the community. Second, it analyzes pro-environmental behavior in organizing work, highlighting the central role of social norms and peer behavior in fostering sustainable practices and improving employee well-being. Third, it explores gendered dynamics of household emissions, illustrating how unequal divisions of labor and consumption in families place disproportionate sustainability burdens on women. The article further emphasizes the importance of education, showcasing initiatives that integrate climate sociology into higher, secondary, and professional education. The article concludes with recommendations for interdisciplinary collaboration, policy design, and education to promote an inclusive social transition toward sustainability in the community, work, and family domain.